Author: Kailynn Johnson

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U of M Community Demands Answers on School’s Response to Trump Initiatives

Photo Credit: University of Memphis via Facebook

A letter signed by 42 University of Memphis faculty, staff, and students was delivered to the offices of President Bill Hargrave and Provost David J. Russomanno on Thursday. It expressed concerns about federal “attacks” on academia, academic freedom, and student safety. The letter asked that university officials “recommit publicly” to these issues.

“Academic freedom is essential to the United States’ system of higher education,” the letter said. “Yet the Trump administration has attacked academic freedom in countless ways, including withdrawing federal funding from subjects or universities they oppose ideologically, demanding dramatic overhauls of academic programs, and removing critical data from government websites.”

The sentiments reference a slew of executive orders and initiatives from President Donald Trump to defund colleges and universities and dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion  (DEI) practices. 

In response to these actions, the American Association of Colleges and Universities released a statement signed by collegiate leaders that condemned these efforts, calling them “unprecedented government overreach.” University of Memphis students have asked that Hargrave sign the letter to show his commitment to protecting the integrity of the school.

The university has also been urged to protect international students. This call comes as five students had their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records reinstated after being terminated by the Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement (ICE).

Students and staff voiced their concerns for those detained by ICE, specifically for those who are involved in pro-Palestininan movements. They went on to cite fear of deportation along with attacks on free speech, and how some universities have assisted ICE in these actions.

“We deserve to know how the university will protect our students and faculty from such actions, ” the letter said. 

The letter asked that the university deliver a response outlining how it will protect students from detention and deportation. It sought information about whether the administration has worked with ICE and if it plans to do so in the future, and questioned how the administration will protect the U of M community from measures censoring free speech.

Lastly, the letter criticized the university for a “profound lack of transparency” — specifically about how they will respond to “federal directives.” 

“Students cannot be successful if they live in fear of deportation, or when faculty are prohibited from teaching freely within their areas of expertise,” the letter said.

While the letter noted that the university held a recent town hall, it asserts that questions from students and faculty were “censored and no questions were fielded from the audience.” As a result, the signees have requested an “honest, open discussion about community concerns,” to be attended by Hardgrave and Russomano.

The writers said they see this as an opportunity for the administration to “reconfirm their commitment to academic freedom and protecting students.” They have requested a response to the letter by Wednesday, May 7.

University of Memphis officials have not yet responded to the letter.

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xAI Air Permit Decision ‘Could Take Weeks’

Elon Musk. Photo by Trevor Cokley / Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Shelby County Health Department’s (SCHD) decision as to whether or not they will grant air permits for xAI’s gas turbines could take weeks, officials said.

During Wednesday’s Shelby County Board of Commissioners meeting, Kasia Smith-Alexander, deputy director of SCHD, said that as the public comment period closes, the agency’s next step is to respond to the comment. 

“To give you a timeline on when or if a decision will be made on that permit — probably weeks out, I don’t want to put a date on it,” Smith-Alexander said. 

She noted that on Friday the health department held a public hearing regarding the permits, and since then they had received about 300 additional comments.

Officials said the permit is only for 15 permanent turbines, and not 35, which the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) brought attention to in a letter to Michelle Taylor, director and health officer for the Shelby County Health Department.

At the commission’s  hospitals and health committee meeting, Commissioner Erika Sugarmon sponsored a resolution that asks for an update from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) regarding the “remaining steps and time necessary to connect xAI to the local utility grid.” 

The resolution requests that this update be given by June 1

Smith-Alexander said the permanent turbines are supposed to go on the grid “at some point in time.”

The commissioner said her original intent was to have a six-month moratorium for the operation of the turbines, but was informed this would be a request and not a requirement of the health department.

Megan Smith, a staff member of the county attorney’s office, said there is no legal definition of moratorium “in this process as defined by law.”

“This body only has authority that is granted to it by law,” Smith said. “There is no authority to issue a moratorium on this process.”

Sugarmon went on record and requested that the public comment period be extended as TVA, MLGW, and the Chamber of Commerce have not come before the commission to provide updates on the grid. She also asked for a list of people who signed NDAs

While elected officials are working to stop the turbines, this has not stopped the public from asking the health department to deny the permits.

“We call on Shelby County Health Director Dr. Michelle Taylor and Mayor Lee Harris to deny the permit and shut the xAI plant down,” Rep. Justin J. Pearson said before a “Deny the Permit Rally” held Wednesday. “xAI is poisoning our air, and we are organizing to stop it. We want less pollution, not more. Our health is not for sale.”

Orion Overstreet, a University of Memphis student organizer, said they are watching and researching and promised to keep showing up on the issue.

“The young folks in the city are coming together around this issue,” Overstreet said. “We have all eyes on this right now.”

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Shelby County Health Department Hosts Public Meeting on xAI

Last Friday’s public hearing wasto discuss xAI’s gas turbine permit. (Photo: Ward Archer)

Memphis residents and elected officials gathered to voice their opinions on xAI during last Friday’s public hearing hosted by the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD). The hearing, held at Fairley High School, was to discuss xAI’s gas turbine permit.

In early April, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution for the department to host a public hearing prior to the approval or denial of the permit submitted by CTC Property LLC, an affiliate of xAI.

The permit is for the 15 permanent turbines for the South Memphis facility, which has drawn criticism from environmental groups and citizens alike. An April 9th letter from the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) to Michelle Taylor, director and health officer for the Shelby County Health Department, said the organization obtained aerial images in March that showed xAI had 35 gas turbines.

“Our analysis shows these turbines together have a power generating capacity of 421 megawatts — comparable to an entire TVA [Tennessee Valley Authority] power plant — all constructed and operating unlawfully without any air permit in Southwest Memphis, a community that is profoundly overburdened with industrial pollution,” SELC said. The turbines have been linked to emitting an estimated 16.7 tons of formaldehyde.

Prior to the hearing, Representative Justin J. Pearson held a press conference urging citizens to be “fired up against the richest man in the room. … This is how we change the course of history,” he said. “This is how we fight those who say we don’t have power. We show up as Black folk and white folk, as folks from South Memphis and North Memphis, and East Memphis, Downtown, and Midtown, saying what is happening to those in 38109 is happening to all of us.”

Aside from environmental and community activists, representatives of the Greater Memphis Chamber were present at last Friday’s meeting. The officials had hosted a webinar days before to address concerns about transparency, water usage, and the turbines.

SCHD’s Taylor told Friday’s audience the purpose of the hearing was to record and hear concerns and comments about the air permit. “What we’re seeking to do today, in addition to getting your comments, is educate the public on the environmental impacts to our communities and encourage all of our elected officials to involve the public in decision making every single time,” Taylor said. “Our community deserves to be educated from a place of truth.”

Prior to opening the comment period, xAI representative Brent Mayo gave a statement but could not be heard over the audience’s booing. “We don’t want you here!” an audience member said.

Commenters, such as KeShaun Pearson, executive director of Memphis Community Against Pollution, criticized officials for not doing enough to protect citizens and praised SELC for their work in providing information.

“It’s time we tell the truth about what political abandonment looks like,” Pearson said. “The truth is there is no support coming from our public institutions who are here to protect us.”

Kelsey Huse, a master’s student studying city planning at the University of Memphis, noted she’d been told she shouldn’t care about pollution in South Memphis but rather crime.

“I’m here to tell you how caring about air pollution is caring about crime,” Huse said. “There are many reasons to be against these turbines, but on the subject of air quality it cannot be disconnected from crime.” Huse cited a study from the University of California-Davis that found wind direction could affect irritability and potentially lead to “poor decision-making.”

Glenda Hicks noted South Memphis communities like Boxtown have consistently been disenfranchised. “We care about lives,” Hicks said. “I care about my people, and if you, the representatives, care about the people of Memphis, do the right thing: Deny this permit. Elon Musk — we do not want him in Memphis.” 

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Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis To Close Nine High School Sites

A Boys and Girls Club member participating in workforce development. Photo Credit: Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis via Facebook

Nine Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis high school sites will close at the end of the current school year. Officials said this is a result of American Rescue Plan Act funds running out.

Club officials sai they were awarded $9 million in federal funding from the City of Memphis in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.With these funds, the nonprofit was able to open 10 high school club sites.

While the funds ran out in October 2024, the organization made the decision to continue funding these sites through the current school year.

On May 24 the sites at Booker T. Washington, Hamilton, Raleigh Egypt, Ridgeway, Sheffield, Trezevant, Westwood, and Woodale will close. These sites focused on workforce development and job readiness. This consisted of interview and application prep, workplace visits, and opportunities to become certified in welding, culinary arts, and forklift operation.

“This is the hardest news we’ve had to share,” Gwendolyn Woods, CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis, said. “It’s particularly difficult, because some of these schools are in high-crime areas, and business owners around the sites told us crime started to fall when we gave the high schoolers positive things to do after school.”

Woods has been with the organization for 10 years, starting as a club director and working with kids directly. She said they always wanted to expand their programs  – providing a safe place for students to go after school.

“We all know most violent crimes happen after school hours,” Woods said. “3,500 kids had access to our programs after school. This gave the schools[and] parents peace.”

The organization reported that 100 percent of high school seniors in their programs graduate with future plans in mind including going to college, getting a job, or enlisting in the military. They also said 57 percent of alumni said “the club saved their life.”

Seeing the importance of these programs is what encouraged the club to keep operating these sites after the funds ran out. She said the organization still worked to provide funds by talking to different community leaders, however she noted it costs $2.1 million to run the 10 branches alone.

Woods said it was a hard decision, especially since she served as COO when these clubs first opened, where she was tasked with hiring “passionate” staff members. This announcement will impact 49 employees.

The nonprofit is still working to serve the students who were members at one of the sites, and are looking to provide transportation to their “traditional” sites. They have also added a program specialist role, where a staff member will facilitate Boys and Girl Club activities inside the affected high schools.

“If somebody wants to fund these programs then we feel like at short notice, we can build them back up again,” Woods said. “Right now we have to work with what we have, and we plan to focus on our traditional sites.”

After the closure, 11 sites will be open including two high school sites located at Craigmont and Melrose

Woods said they are also working on recruitment, marketing, and fundraising. Through fundraising, they are able to offer memberships for $10, with scholarship options available.

“Right now we have a grant team and a development team that are really working from sun up to sun down to secure funds for the organization and the work that we do,” Woods said.

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Price Cut at Some Downtown Garages Through Summer

Photo: Kevin Ruck

The Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC)  and the Downtown Mobility Authority have announced discounted parking rates at 10 garages. 

Through a partnership with Premium Parking the DMC is offering a $5 rate available Sunday through Thursday for three hours. This rate  is available at the Peabody Place Garage, First Park Place, Mobility Center, Gayoso Garage, Shoppers Garage, Huling Lot, Bakery Garage, Gus Lot, Sterick North Garage, and Sterick East Lot.

Downtown_Memphis_Parking_Map-1Download

Users have the option to extend their time upon expiration, to which an hourly rate will apply.

According to the DMC this promotion will be available throughout the spring and summer. From now until May 31, the rate is applicable from 5 to 9 p.m. On June 1, visitors can access the rate from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. on the same days until August 31.

DMC President and CEO Chandell Ryan said this is an effort to invite more people to Downtown Memphis during the week.

“We want this program to support Downtown restaurants and businesses by making parking more accessible and affordable,” Ryan said. “With success, we hope to add additional garages to the program.”

The commission has made a point to address parking Downtown. According to their 2019 Downtown Memphis Parking Study, this was identified as a “defining issue for the future of Downtown growth.” They said this is partly because many “uses” compete for parking throughout the day.

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Greater Memphis Chamber Addresses xAI Concerns During Webinar

Ted Townsend, Kontji Anthony, and Shannon Lynn

The Greater Memphis Chamber attributes their “lack of transparency” regarding the xAI project to market stability and competitive advantage.

“Confidentiality is actually really important when it comes to economic development projects,” Bobby White, chief government affairs officer for the Chamber, said. “We have unfortunately experienced this in the past where projects and information about them have slipped and become public knowledge, and we’ve lost projects.”

These comments were made Wednesday during a webinar hosted by the Greater Memphis Chamber to address community questions about xAI’s turbines, water usage, and more. Media personality Kontji Anthony moderated the conversation and called xAI the biggest economic development project in Memphis history and noted the controversy looming around it.

Residents and elected officials, such as Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton and Representative Justin J. Pearson, have criticized the city and company for the absence of public input and knowledge. Many have voiced concern about the effects it will have on citizens in Southwest Memphis.

Anthony said the purpose of Wednesday’s forum was to clear up misconceptions around the project.

White said some of these misconceptions had been heard repeatedly — specifically those surrounding water usage. He clarified that the company is not using 1 million gallons of water a day to cool the supercomputer. Instead, it is operating on a closed loop system, with no water from the aquifer being used for industrial use.

“Essentially water comes in and cools the supercomputer,” White said. “That closed loop system is why xAI is paying a water bill that’s probably comparable to what you’re paying at your house.”

He estimated that xAI is paying less than $1,000 every month because it is recycling water. He also said the company is building Memphis’ first-ever wastewater recycling facility, marking an $80 million investment.

The Chamber wanted to bring in experts to engage in conversation about gas turbine usage. Recently, the Southern Environmental Law Center ( SELC) found that 35 turbines had been operating near the facility — 20 more than previously reported.

Shannon Lynn, a principal consultant for Trinity Consultants, located in Little Rock, Arkansas, said both the temporary and permanent turbines have sparked concern. Lynn said only 15 are set to be permanent, which the company has submitted permits for.

Lynn noted concerns about formaldehyde, nitric oxide, and dioxide emissions. He said the turbines are natural gas fired and “simple products of combustion.”

“If you burn gas, you’re going to get products of combustion, and that’s what you have with these turbines,” Lynn said.

A viewer asked Lynn if he would feel safe living in close proximity to the turbines. Lynn said he has had experience with this in Arkansas, as a data center was built within two miles of his home. He said if the control technology, equipment, and programs were in place along with working with a regulatory body he would feel safe.

Ted Townsend, president and CEO of the Chamber, said the city is already seeing the positive effects of landing the “world’s largest supercomputer,” representing a “tremendous investment.”

He said this deal has attracted other companies to Memphis, creating more jobs and investments into the Memphis economy.

“Success is now,” Townsend said. “I think over the next five, 10, 20 years you’re gonna see a higher concentration of this tech innovation and we’re really the epicenter of AI computing if you think about having the power of a supercomputer localized right here in Memphis.”

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Southwest Memphis Residents Receive xAI ‘Propaganda’ in Mailboxes

Photo Credit: Rep. Justin Pearson

Residents in Southwest Memphis have reportedly received “fact sheets” from an anonymous organization regarding the xAI turbines operating in their community.

This information comes from Representative Justin J. Pearson’s newsletter “People Power Times”. According to Pearson, a group called “Facts Over Fear” has placed “propaganda” in residents’ mailboxes that claim that the company’s gas turbines are “minor polluters.”

The mail said the turbines are designed to protect the air with “air quality levels similar to those from a neighborhood gas station. It cited that the Environmental Protection Agency refers to facilities like the xAI plant as “minor contributors” to air quality.

 While the group said there are only 15 turbines operating, Pearson said this is false.

“Thanks to the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), we know the truth – there are actually 35 gas turbines on site,” Pearson said. “The misinformation being sent to our neighbors conveniently leaves out the 20 additional gas turbines xAI failed to report.”

Pearson referenced an April 9 letter from SELC to Dr. Michelle Taylor, director and health officer for the Shelby County Health Department. The organization said they obtained aerial images in March that showed that xAI has 35 gas turbines.

Photo Credit: Southern Environmental Law Center

“Our analysis shows these turbines together have a power generating capacity of 421 megawatts – comparable to an entire TVA power plant – all constructed and operating unlawfully without any air permit in Southwest Memphis, a community that is profoundly overburdened with industrial pollution.”

The turbines have been linked to emitting an “estimated” 16.7 tons of formaldehyde.

“I am both disgusted and furious that anyone would downplay the harmful impact this plant is having on our air, our health, and our future,” Pearson said.

Southwest Memphis residents have been vocal at town halls, meetings of elected bodies, and on social media about the lack of transparency regarding the project, as well as the impact on their community.  Pearson said many officials have “signed non-disclosure agreements promising to keep xAI’s plans a secret.”

These comments come as the Shelby County Health Department collects public comments from ahead of the Air Pollution Control Permit Application Public Hearing on April 25.

Pearson said he and other residents will continue to hold community leaders accountable for this “shameful legacy of environmental injustice.”

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Health and Housing Expo To Address Disparities Among Black Residents

Photo Credit: Shelby County Tennessee Alumnae Chapter

The Shelby County Tennessee Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated are maximizing their efforts to improve health and housing outcomes for residents in the city by hosting a Health and Housing Expo on Saturday, April 12.

“It’s our mission to reach as many as we can in our community to deal with all the different issues that are concerning our Black and brown individuals,” Lai Brooks, the chapter’s second vice president and chair of Program Planning and Development said. “Health is one of the main issues [in Memphis], and our housing economic crisis.”

Information from The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis showed that African Americans make up a majority of the city’s population. A large portion of these individuals have “chronic diseases” such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

Along with chronic diseases, the institute found “mental health disparities” among Black residents to be “equally concerning” with systemic racism and other societal inequities further complicating the issues.

“Black Americans are less likely than our white counterparts to seek services for mental health,’  Brooks said. “We want to have those mental health providers there — available to talk about signs and symptoms of different mental health disorders. To be physically healthy, your mental health has to also be intact.”

Brooks said the expo will bring health care professionals to the community in an accessible way. Residents will see what health options are available for them whether they have insurance or not. Some resources include the Baptist Women’s Health Center mammography bus, blood pressure and glucose screenings, and HIV testing.

“It is quite important for us to bring those services and resources to the community to be able to show it is okay to tap into these resources,” Brooks said. “Some may not have health insurance and they’re thinking ‘oh I’m not going to be able to seek care,’ but there are free services out there that you can tap into to have wellbeing for your physical and mental health.”

Janet Bedford-Haynes, the chapter’s Economic Development chair, said the expo also seeks to address the city’s home ownership gap.

“It is a fact that the Black homeownership rate is significantly lower than that of white residents,” Bedford said. 

She cited information from the U.S. Census Bureau that found a significant gap between Black and white homeownership. 

“Our goal is to help bridge that wealth gap by providing resources, connecting the community to industry partners, and really advocating for home ownership in this area,” Bedford said. “It is so important we have representation. Having that representation creates a foundation of trust. Sometimes lack of information may prevent someone from seeking those needs when it comes to health or home ownership.”

Lenders will be available to talk about credit, finances, and the steps to homeownership in a relatable way. Bedford said the chapter hopes this will build confidence for Black residents seeking home ownership.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ed Rice Community Center located at 2935 North Watkins Street.

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Interim MATA Leadership Focused on ‘Stabilizing’ Agency

Photo: Justin Fox Burks

The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) said their primary goals are to improve the agency’s operational and financial viability as interim leadership continues efforts to transform the agency.

Today the interim leadership team, comprised of TransPro consultants, gave a monthly update to Memphis City Council’s transportation committee.

John Lewis, interim CEO, said the leadership team has reviewed all non-employee spending to identify “unnecessary and redundant” charges while also stopping “non-safety certification-related travels” for MATA personnel. They have also changed the employee expense reimbursement policies.

“The majority of spending has got to be focused on putting transit service on the street and not towards supporting unnecessary or redundant administrative funding, as has been the practice in the past,” Lewis said. 

Officials also said they have gained access to the agency’s American Express account to suspend usage and look into the previous spending. Lewis said this is to stop future misappropriation of agency funds.

Aaron Headley, interim CFO, said MATA is also working to optimize the city’s investment. They are currently working on minimizing the amount of past-due payments with a target of less than 10 percent.  

Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas questioned whether the agency had the data to show optimization of the city’s investment, to which officials said this is an intended outcome.

The presentation showed that the amount of past due payables was at 94 percent as of March 7th, and it stayed the same as of March 26th. Headley said this is because they are “laser-focused” on getting more buses on the road and making sure they don’t run out of money.

Lewis said they are working to finalize their FY26 budget with extra focus on “eliminating wasteful spending” from both administration and vendor services.

Councilman Jeff Warren questioned whether or not the agency could switch to smaller buses on routes that aren’t as full. He suggested that this may be a better spend than to continue purchasing larger buses as they could improve cost-saving measures, efficiency, and timeliness.

Lewis explained there are opportunities for smaller vehicles; however, their main concern is stabilizing the agency.

“Getting into service design is further down the road for us,” Lewis said.

Warren responded that stabilizing the agency may be difficult if only a percentage of buses are available to complete routes.

Thomas asked if they are able to receive the data that the agency is using to complete their monthly reports even though officials said they are “ongoing.” Board chair Edmund Ford Sr. said that questions such as these could not be discussed in regular session, but rather in attorney-client session.

Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton asked how MATA plans to rebuild the community’s trust in terms of reliability and on-time performance. She said the current model is a “failing” one and advised MATA to not ask for more money if they plan to do the same thing.

“I understand that getting the money is most important, but getting the trust back — what does your model look like?” Sutton asked. “More service on the street, but you don’t have the people to ride. They’ve made other means because they were forced into a place where they had to find other means.”

Anna McQuiston, vice chair of MATA’s board of commissioners, said the interim leadership team realizes that community trust is broken, yet she didn’t think the model was broken; rather, the agency did not deliver on their promises.

“Our number-one priority right now is to deliver on the service that we tell people we’re going to provide,” McQuiston said. “We’re not doing that right now. We’ve got to deliver on time. We need the buses to show up, and that to me is the first step of many that we need to make to build back that community trust. That has been one of the priorities the board has asked for considering all these things.”

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Memphis Library Foundation To Expand Innovator-in-Residence Program

Photo Credit: Memphis Public Libraries via Facebook

Thanks to a new grant, the Memphis Library Foundation will be able to further aid in workforce development by helping residents grow in fields such as entrepreneurship, culinary arts, and digital media. This is all part of the foundation’s Innovator-in-Residence program, which will expand as a result of funds from Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD).

Today, foundation officials announced they received a $300,000 grant from the department. This represents a portion of $167 million in grants TNECD has allocated across Tennessee for workforce advancement.

“This two-year grant will specifically enable the Foundation to expand upon successful Memphis Public Libraries programs and offer additional resources, expertise, and training to local community members seeking to enhance their digital skills and workforce development opportunities,” Memphis Library Foundation officials said in a statement.

As participants work to sharpen their skills, the program will connect them with professionals such as podcasters, chefs, lawyers, and more, who will help them “monetize their talents” while also contributing to growth in the city. 

​The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Industry Report 2024 by the Greater Memphis Chamber and Greater Memphis Economic Research Group found that as of 2021, small businesses accounted for 98.9 percent of businesses in the area.

“By providing access to professional guidance and resources, we aim to create a robust network of aspiring entrepreneurs, contributing to the overall economic growth in our city,” Christine Weinreich, executive director of Memphis Library Foundation, said.

Memphis has been referred to as a “hotbed for entrepreneurship” by Epicenter Memphis. The organization said the city has an advantage over places like San Francisco and New York, which tend to show “startup saturation.” 

The Urban Libraries Council noted the opportunities this Innovators-in-Residence program opens to the city — specifically to African-American communities the library serves.

“Memphis Public Libraries provides access to resources, opportunity, and hope,” the Urban Libraries Council said. “Cossitt Library serves Downtown, where 52 percent of residents are African American and 14 percent live in poverty. The area faces economic disparities, with wealthy neighborhoods near some of the poorest. Raleigh Library patrons are 76 percent African American, and 26 percent live in poverty.”

The program is tailored to the offerings of each library branch. Cossitt Library was home to the initial pilot of the initiative, which led to Ena Esco’s podcast, Verbally Effective. Weinreich said the grant will allow them to expand to five different innovators as opposed to one.

Other libraries will be involved in the program, including Raleigh Library, which houses an “on-site kitchen” where they will focus on culinary skills and development. Officials said they plan to bring in local chefs to help advise participants on how to secure funding for a business and how to manage restaurants.